Harbin Volga Manor

Volga Manor is located on the bank of Ashi River in Xiangfang District of Harbin City. Covering an area of 600,000㎡, the manor is an amplification of the city's Russian influences. Now, the manor featuring 30 Russian-style buildings, has become a new tourist resort featuring wet lands, landscaped gardens, hotels, restaurants, and meeting venues, hosting events such as art exhibitions and performances. The majority of visitors, however, remain middle-aged and older group tourists. They come primarily for St. Nicholas Cathedral, but will also have a look at other restored buildings.

For Chinese people born in the 1940s and 1950s, their foreign cultural influences were heavily from the former Soviet Union or Russia. Inspired by the film Heroine, many young Chinese women dreamed of becoming tractor drivers. Also, “We will have bread, and we will have everything,” a line from Lenin in October, became a catch phrase while the film was popular. The stylish Lenin coat and the beautiful bulaji (a transliteration from Russian for a woman’s frock) are unforgettable reminders of their younger and more energetic days.

Today, many young people also make the drive to Volga Manor to appreciate the Russian-flavored rural scenery. To them, exotic Russian culture and customs are fashionable.